The supporting cast is solid with memorable turns from the likes of Rory Fleck Byrne, Charlie Murphy (no, not that one), and others. It’s all well-crafted and smartly-captured to maximize thrills and entertainment. We get a pair of close quarters action scenes that remind of The Bourne Supremacy - but are really what Chan’s been doing for decades - as well as more rural “shechanigans” when Quan pulls a reverse Patriot Games and descends on Hennessy’s IRA-protected stronghold. There’s a tangible pain in his all but defeated face as he lets go of the past and sets his sights solely on revenge.Ĭampbell’s years of experience on action films big and small are put to great use here, and along with cinematographer David Tattersall he crafts numerous sequences and set-pieces that highlight Quan’s skills while satisfying Chan fans and action junkies alike. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger before him, who recently shifted in a similar direction with Maggie and Aftermath, Chan’s strength with always be as a physical entertainer, but he more than acquits himself here as a man who’s lost everything.
Brosnan captures his anger as well as his growing frustration at the loss of control to both his own people and Quan’s determination.Ĭhan may still be thought of mostly as a “funny” guy, but he’s played these serious roles before, and he’s played them well. It’s maybe far too easy to identify which member of Hennessy’s crew is involved, but that’s far from the point as more layers are stripped away to reveal blame and motivation galore. Writer David Marconi (Enemy of the State) keeps a smart balance between the two halves ensuring neither thread grows stale, and while both are engaging separately things heat up when they collide. It’s far from a usual Chan film both because he’s only in roughly half of it and because IRA-related plot turns are given equal attention, but the combination works well to deliver intimate thrills and satisfying beats. Hennessy knows more than he’s letting on but also doesn’t know it all, and while he’s handling pressure from the British government he faces an even bigger challenge from a tired old man grieving the loss of his daughter.īased on Stephen Leather‘s novel, The Chinaman, The Foreigner packs a hefty amount of intrigue, action, and double-crosses into its mid-range budget and nearly two-hour running time. A previously unknown faction of the IRA claims responsibility which draws the attention of Deputy Minister Liam Hennessy ( Pierce Brosnan) who was an IRA member in his youth before serving time, reforming, and bringing the fight into the political arena instead. An everyday errand to pick up a dress sees her killed alongside a dozen others when a terrorist bomb explodes nearby, and a devastated Quan - a man with a very particular set of skills learned the hard way in Vietnam - turns quietly towards a path of vengeance. Quan Ngoc Minh (Chan) works hard, owns a restaurant in London, and does his best to provide for his daughter Fan. It’s been too long for both of them, but now the pair have come together for The Foreigner, and the result is every bit the success fans could have hoped for. outside of animated films since 2010’s The Karate Kid. Jackie Chan, meanwhile, has kept extremely busy internationally but hasn’t had a wide release in the U.S. 2011’s Green Lantern was viewed as such a failure, though, that he hasn’t directed a feature since. Martin Campbell rebooted the James Bond franchise twice, with GoldenEye and Casino Royale, and his directorial career also includes entertaining fare like Criminal Law and The Mask of Zorro. Published on October 16th, 2017 It’s no franchise-starter, a la ‘Taken,’ but Chan’s “old man seeks revenge” flick is a terrific action/drama all the same.
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